White Teeth

You’re at a party sipping at a drink, amusedly watching a girl steal glances at an attractive guy across the room. Turning to him, you see that he has finally noticed her and flashes a brilliant smile in the girl’s direction. This is short-lived however, as his smile falters almost instantly. Confused, you look back at the girl returning his smile and immediately zero in on her yellow teeth in horrified disbelief.  Uh, ew! Avoid disasters similar to scenarios like this with a few of these tricks to whiten your teeth without going to the dentist!

1.       Drink water
Water is a great way to ensure that your teeth stay white. Have a glass of water on hand after drinking dark-colored liquids like coffee and soda so as to prevent stains. It’s also helpful to guzzle dark drinks through a straw.

 

2.       Blue-Based Lipstick
Avoid lipsticks that have a golden or orangey tint to them. Instead, opt for ones that are cherry red or berry colored to help make teeth look whiter, as the blue undertones in these latter two colors help offset the yellow in teeth. Go for glossier lipsticks as well, as matte lipsticks can make teeth look dull.

3.       Brush After Meals
The most obvious way to avoid yellow teeth is to, of course, brush your teeth! Remember to not over-brush though (2 minutes should be adequate) or brush too vigorously, as your gums may start to recede. Hold your brush with two fingers to avoid brushing too hard.

Beyonce’s BIG Announcement at the VMA’s

Sunday night’s VMAs pulled in the highest ratings ever for the MTV-aired show. But the awards weren’t what got viewers’ attention. It was Beyonce!  As we watched Beyonce walk the red carpet, it was clear there was something strikingly different about her appearance- she has a growing baby bump! Being the diva that she is, Beyonce stole the show.  

Beyonce was glowing. She turned heads in a one-shoulder orange Lanvin gown, Rene Caovilla heels, and Lorraine Schwartz gems. To complete her look Beyonce kept her hair simple but glamorous with a ponytail, loosely curled and swept to one side.

To achieve this look at home-
1. Apply the High-Gloss Serum to damp hair
2. Blow-dry and section it into pieces
3. Begin curling it with a 1 inch curling iron
4. Once finished run your fingers through the curls to give them a softer look
5. Bring the hair to one side and secure it
6. To tame flyways, again apply a small amount of the serum. Voila! 

Fall Makeup

Summer’s winding down (booo), and along with the cooler weather, Fall makeup is making its annual round. Instead of the light, breezy makeup we put on in the summer, we’ll be applying some of these colors instead:

1.       Eyes
Violet, green, navy, and gold eye shadows will be big colors for the upcoming Fall season. Use a slightly damp brush to line the top and bottom of your eyes with any of these colors to really get your eyes popping, or create a softer, smokier look by smudging with a cotton swab.

2.       Lips
Try out different shades of red for a bold, striking Fall look. Magenta lipstick supposedly looks great on all skin tones, so give it a try! Remember that with such a bright lip color, you’ll want to keep the rest of your makeup simple so that you don’t overdo it!

3.       Nails
Nude polish is in, pink is out! The idea behind nude-colored nail polish is to make your fingers look longer; however, just because your nails are beige doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with nail designs!  

Lagerfeld for Macys

I have always dreamed of one day having the luxury to afford at least one piece of Chanel’s collection, specifically the always classic Chanel 2.55. Little did I know that dream would somewhat come true and for a fraction of the price. Now I may not be buying something from the Chanel line itself, but I will own something created by the king of fashion himself. And for now, that is plenty for me.

Karl Lagerfeld teamed up with Macy’s and created a collection to hit stores August 31. While I was profoundly excited by this news and the fact that Lagerfeld stuck to his signature design aesthetic of black and white pieces, I found myself slightly disappointed with the collection as a whole.  Here are some of my favorite pieces-

Each piece in a Chanel line is inherently different and possesses its own distinct feeling. There is nothing generic about Chanel.  The piecesI found myself disliking from the Lagerfeld Macys collection lack the uniqueness Chanel is known for and have more design characteristics similar to what Macys generally produces.

It will be interesting to see the response Macy’s receives when the line hits the floors. No worries for Lagerfeld though, he still has the Chanel empire to run, and we all know that isn’t going anywhere.

Beautiful Skin

        

  Let’s face it, we all want soft, beautiful skin, but oftentimes fall prey to the hands of time and laziness when it comes to taking those few extra minutes to protect our skin. Here are just a few things we shouldn’t skimp out on to keep that healthy glow!

1. Sunscreen
   
   
   So so so important! Slather on sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays and has a minimum of SPF30 onto yourself everyday so as to delay the appearance of wrinkles, sagging, and leathery skin. To allow the ingredients to properly work their magic, you should apply sunscreen 30 minutes before being exposed to the sun. Reapply every 2 hours, and don’t forget your neck and chest!
   
2. Wash Your Makeup Brushes!
   
   
   Back when I was younger, I would occasionally use dirty makeup brushes because I’d be too lazy to wash them. Let me tell you -- it didn’t do anything good for my skin. Not only did the colors of my makeup come out a little funky, but it also left my pores clogged, and skin susceptible to bacterial infections. To avoid these little disasters, be sure to clean your brushes every one or two weeks!
   
3. Exercise!
   
   
   Yes, we know that exercise is good for your health, but it’s also great for raising your spirits and increasing blood-flow to the skin to create a healthy-looking glow. When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins that ease away stress and tension that can ultimately lead to acne and other breakouts. 

Breakfast For The Thin!

We’ve all done it – just sucked down a cup of coffee in the morning before dashing off to work. But, you know, as they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It refuels your body after a long night of no food while you sleep, and helps to keep your waistline in check by sustaining you before your much-anticipated lunch break. That is, only if you eat the right foods of course. Skip the bagel and try these options out instead!

1. Low-Fat Greek Yogurt
   
   
   
   Greek yogurt is known to be packed with a considerable amount of protein (14-18g of protein in a 6oz cup!), which means it’ll fend off hunger for a longer period of time. Greek yogurt also has a great source of calcium, potassium, and vitamins.
   
2. Oatmeal
   
   
   Fiber, fiber, fiber! Half a cup of oatmeal carries 3-4 grams of fiber, delaying hunger pains. In addition, oatmeal carries 4-7g of protein as well! Drop in some fresh fruit for some healthy, natural sugars to sweeten things up!
   
3. Eggs
   
   
   Eggs are loaded with nutrients and are filled with over 6g of protein, making it a healthy food choice for breakfast. Studies have shown that when compared to women who ate bagels with the same amount of calories, those who ate eggs for breakfast lost more weight (presumably because of all the protein). 

Olive Oil

I love olives. No, really. I love olives. I’ll be the first to jump out of my chair if somebody even offers me olives straight from the can. It’s no surprise then that I try to use olive oil whenever I can, not only because I like the taste, but also because it’s so unbelievably good for you!

True, olive oil is well…oil, and therefore high in fat, but don’t freak out just yet. The type of fat found in all kinds of olive oil is mainly monounsaturated fatty acids, which are actually really healthy for you! The fatty acids from the oils help make your skin glow and arteries suppler, and can help reduce the risk of heart disease. It can also lower the rate of absorption of edible fats and consequently slow down the aging process. Olive oil is additionally high in vitamins A, B-1, B-2, C, D, E and K and in iron.

However, keep in mind that even though olive oil is healthy, you shouldn’t go overboard because it’s still high in calories! Moderation is key!

Eyeshadows

 I love eyeshadows. With all of the different hues and shades of colors, there’s so much room for creativity. When I was younger, I used to just have fun with it and mix and match colors on my eyelids, but over the years, I’ve discovered that certain colors are better suited for different eye colors to make them stand out:

Brown Eyes: Browns, beige, and neutral colors always look great with brown eyes. You can even add a little more glamor by popping on some gold or copper eyeshadow as well. Gray, charcoal, violet and lavender are also great choices for that extra oomph.

Blue Eyes: Silvers and grays make for outstanding, beautiful blue eyes. You can even play up the blues even more and swipe on some blue eyeshadow. Pink, peach, violet, and lilac are excellent choices too!

Green/Hazel Eyes: Golds and browns look gorgeous on those with green and hazel eyes. Experiment with different shades of green to create a more exotic and flirty look! 

Ooh, Shiny!

Glossy, healthy-looking hair is always in style, no matter the season. Here are a few ways on how to amp up that shine in your hair!

1. Use GLOSS Moderne’s High-Gloss Masque to moisturize your hair! It contains shea butter that helps replenish the hair with vital minerals and rejuvenate dull tresses, and also soy protein that helps to improve body and texture for easy manageability.
   
2. Wash your hair according to your hair color and type! For those of us who have darker tresses, second-day, well-conditioned hair catches the most light, whereas lighter shades of hair are at their glossiest when they’re clean.
   
3. Brush your hair with the right kind of brush! Brushing your hair helps stimulate the production of natural hair oils, and natural bristles, like boar bristles, are great for redistributing oil along the hair shaft.

Top Tips for Curly Hair

For those of us with curly hair, we all know how unpredictable those curls can act sometimes. Here are the best tips to taming those wild curls.

1.    1.   Create layers that start at your chin and angle down create the illusion of long and full curls. But be careful not to cut those layers to short or you’ll end up having too much fluff.

2.    2.    Less is more when it comes to shampoo. To maximize those curls without over washing, try to shampoo your hair no more than every other day. If you shower daily, simply rinse your hair with water on the days you don’t shampoo. Try our High-Gloss Shampoo for the most effective wash and a healthy head of hair.

3.   3.    Leave-in conditioner is a god send for those of us with curly hair. To lock in moisture and prevent the hair from drying out, squeeze out the excess water and apply a leave-in conditioner following your shower.

4.   4.    I can’t stress this enough, with all of the hair styling tools that exist today, hair just cannot hold up to the heat. To protect your strands from over-drying, apply the High-Gloss Masque following your shampoo at least once a week if not every other day. Leave on for at least five minutes before rinsing.

5.   5.    Although this sounds impossible, try to lay off the heat tools once in a while. For me, it has always been a struggle to air-dry my hair-- frizz was impossible to avoid and I always ended up with crazy, can’t go out in public hair. BUT, there is hope for us curly haired girls, the GLOSS Lisse smoothing treatment works great for those who simply want to air dry their hair while looking presentable.